DaGambler's 4k HPS 99 Plant Hempy Grow

[DaGambler]

No updates? Everything must be running smooth huhh?

hmmm.... no, not really

but i guess that's one reason to follow other people's journals, eh? to learn from their mistakes. i'm still learning from mine:

pH problems sca-rewed the final harvest weight (about 18 days from now). many of them stalled completely at a time when they should have been packing on flowers. i just got sloppy and wasn't paying attention to the run-off pH.

i've also decided that i am not happy with these organic nutes (General Hydroponics Flora Nova Grow and Flora Nova Bloom) ... especially in the inert media of perlite. so i'm going to switch back to the chemical G.H. nutes; Flora Micro and Flora Bloom in a 1 to 1 ratio during veg. and a 1 to 2 ratio during the flower cycle (Lucas Formula). If the next crop doesn't go 200 percent better ... i'll look at switching to an automated (as opposed to manual) hydroponic setup. Maybe ebb 'n flow, but i'll give this perlite one more go.

The Clone crop is still looking lovely at least. So brighter days are ahead, i believe.
The 'lil girls still look much the same, just twice as big: (they grow slow and compact under flouro's)

[youtube]Z4sBZmTYmlI[/youtube]

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[bigjesse1922]

Sorry to hear DG.

Do you incorporate any leaching throughout the grow?

If you are lookin to go e and f, talk to GypsyBush, do you know him?

Maybe you don't need any help, I don't know if you have any experience. He is a great resource though, if you can get past his crabby morning tendencies

Ah well, keep on keep on. Hope ya do well.

 

[DaGambler]

Do you incorporate any leaching throughout the grow?

i do in the clone room now... after lining those shelves with plastic and putting in a drain line on each... i can get real sloppy watering and even flush a bit if need be. though the media can become a bit water-logged.

that'd be a good reason to go ebb 'n flow though. so pH problems and nute problems can very quickly be remedied.

ya, i'm familiar w/ GypsyBush he was just trying to talk me into an ebb 'n flow setup the other day.

thanks.
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[Smokiethebear]

Damn that ph shit sucks, I still like the consept of the hemys I guess putting them into action is alittle harder then they look. ebb and flow huhh? I really like old frogs ebb set up. Maybe you could turn the buckets in to a big flood and drain...put lids on the buckets with net pots. they already got holes in them you could put your water lines into then just get a big resevor and pump...idk its probably harder then that but it would be a cool set up if it worked

 

[DaGambler]

Ya, change of plans. If it can go this poorly... i'd say it's broke and it needs fixed.

I harvest in about 14 days. I'll then be changing over to some sort of Ebb 'N Flow setup. Right now i'm thinking of (2) 5' by 10' "gulleys" with pond liner and using perlite as the medium. Prolly just gonna fill up the gulleys with perlite and transplant directly into that bed of perlite and get rid of the buckets all-together. So now i gotta do a bit more research on the subject and nail down the parts list

i suppose its about time i gave full hydroponics a chance lord knows i could use more control over what's happening in the root zone.
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[shnkrmn]

To have stable pH in hempy buckets, you just have to fill the res/water more frequently. This is the real achille's heel of the method if you want to grow more than just a few plants; the work load increases exponentially. I've gone as long as 7 days between waterings and it just isn't good for the plants. Even though they don't get dried out, the pH just gets way off. I'm flowering 15 plants this cycle and that's about as many as I want to work with. If I expanded any further I'd be looking at a single res system (or dirt).

Question for you DG; do you have any experience with using biological controls (predator mites) to combat spider mites? I'm having issues.

 

[Thundercat]

Well damn Gambler all the problems suck man, sorry to hear. Now you've got me rethinking the hempy!! I'm pretty lazy, lol, and I only checked my run off ph once this grow. For all I know it was fucked up the whole time. We'll see what I can afford when the time comes, lol.

 

[westhamm1132]

nice grow how long till its ready?

 

[DaGambler]

... I've gone as long as 7 days between waterings and it just isn't good for the plants. Even though they don't get dried out, the pH just gets way off.

Question for you DG; do you have any experience with using biological controls (predator mites) to combat spider mites? I'm having issues.

ur comment makes me feel better about having jerked off on the pH this round and about switching to ebb 'n flow.

i have no experience with predators. i used to recommend malathion (as a spray and a soil drench / don't use neem oil as a soil drench !!) ... but i think it would be better to just get a specific solution rather than a broad spectrum pesticide... i believe Gnatrol or a similar product is prolly the best way to go.

but if you have access to predators ... couldn't hurt to try them. i've also kept pests at a minimum by splurging on fly paper en masse. Hang like 5-10 of these in a grow room and you'll be surprised at how many insects you catch over time even when there is no apparent problem.

(EDIT: woops... the question was spider mites, not fungus gnats. i whole-heartedly recommend strong prevention. broadcast diatamaceous earth around the perimeter of the room, the floor, and on all flat surfaces. it kills anything that crawls through it... as well as anything that flies and eventually lands on it. i've heard those are a bitch though... and sometimes the best thing you can do is provide damage control through soaps and such until you can pull the harvest and do a thorough cleaning. And -- you could pyrethrum bomb the hell out of the place ... if you aren't very far into flowering.))
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[JACKMAYOFFER]

To have stable pH in hempy buckets, you just have to fill the res/water more frequently. This is the real achille's heel of the method if you want to grow more than just a few plants; the work load increases exponentially. I've gone as long as 7 days between waterings and it just isn't good for the plants. Even though they don't get dried out, the pH just gets way off. I'm flowering 15 plants this cycle and that's about as many as I want to work with. If I expanded any further I'd be looking at a single res system (or dirt).

Question for you DG; do you have any experience with using biological controls (predator mites) to combat spider mites? I'm having issues.

I was told it is much better to use predator mites before you see signs .Usally it is to late by the time you see them to allow the predators to do there job...I use safe clean as a prevenative I spray twice every seven days it smells like lemon and soap and is completly safe for all stages...I will take a picture of the bottle and post in a minute ...

 

[GypsyBush]

I'll then be changing over to some sort of Ebb 'N Flow setup. Right now i'm thinking of (2) 5' by 10' "gulleys" with pond liner and using perlite as the medium. Prolly just gonna fill up the gulleys with perlite and transplant directly into that bed of perlite and get rid of the buckets all-together. So now i gotta do a bit more research on the subject and nail down the parts list

i suppose its about time i gave full hydroponics a chance lord knows i could use more control over what's happening in the root zone.
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Great to hear you are thinking about doing Ebb Flow...

But may I suggest.. one thing...?

I would seriously, and I mean WHOLE HEARTEDLY ... consider that you stick your plants in pots...

I will try and find Al B Fuct's looooong ass list on the benefits of using pots...

But in short... it keeps your plants mobile...

You can remove runts...

Move weak performers into better light...

Pull out any plant at anytime for any reason... trim/prune/inspect

and all that without having to worry about tangled roots... just pull it out...

It's just a suggestion bro... but I think it should at least be considered, for use of ease's sake...

And if you decide to go perpetual, for some reason,... you are all set to move plants about...

Just my thoughts though...

 

[DaGambler]

I would seriously, and I mean WHOLE HEARTEDLY ... consider that you stick your plants in pots...

I will try and find Al B Fuct's looooong ass list on the benefits of using pots...

Right on. No problem... i was just thinking i'd be able to transition faster w/o re-using the same pots, but not by much. I could see that there would be some benefits. I'll just drill some holes around the base (very bottom) of all my 3 gal. containers so that the water doesn't have any trouble getting in. That'll keep the perlite out of the rez, more or less, as well. Sound okay?

Suggestions and Feedback Always Appreciated !!!

Just found this Auto Top Off Float Valve for RO systems... so that i can just keep the rez full w/o having to worry about it. The nice thing about this one, rather than just a float, is that you can put it on a timer so that it isn't always trying to fill the rez (like during ebb cycles).

Also going to get one of those dual water meters pH/tds that just stays in the rez... Then i'll run a tube down there so that i can add nutrients as needed. (The rez will be under the house... so i don't want to have to actually go down there except to clean it out between crops.) Also looking at inline UV pumps... for keeping the water clean. My biggest concern right now is keeping bugs and mold and algae and crap out of the rez while its under the house. I'm either going to throw a pond liner in a 300 gal. feed tank that i have... or daisy chain (3) 100 gal. smaller tanks together at their bases with compression fittings... either way, i need to find some way to cover the tanks.
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[GypsyBush]

Right on. No problem... i was just thinking i'd be able to transition faster w/o re-using the same pots, but not by much. I could see that there would be some benefits. I'll just drill some holes around the base (very bottom) of all my 3 gal. containers so that the water doesn't have any trouble getting in. That'll keep the perlite out of the rez, more or less, as well. Sound okay?

I gotta run back and refresh my memory..

I can't remember your exact set up...

but I was thinking that you could just move the current set up into the gulley... with wholes at the bottom of the "buckets" as you say...

I gotta go look man.... I can't even remember how you rootzone and feeding systems are...

fucking gypsies....

 

[GypsyBush]

So you have them all in buckets of perlite?

That is perfect bro! just drop the "pots" in the "tray"...

If I remember correctly from what Dewey said, perlite does not absorb too much... and you can do multiple floods a day... kinda like hydroton...

Every time you flood, you are bringing nutrient rich solution to the roots...

Every time you drain you are bringing fresh air into the root zone...

I have flooded as many as 12x a day... and it worked just fine... other than I had algae start on my tray... so I cut it back and solved that...

but it wasn't the plants that asked me to cut back..... it was my lazy ass that didn't want to deal with algae...

Ibelieve you will be pleased...

Just found this Auto Top Off Float Valve for RO systems... so that i can just keep the rez full w/o having to worry about it. The nice thing about this one, rather than just a float, is that you can put it on a timer so that it isn't always trying to fill the rez (like during ebb cycles).

I am glad you thought of that...

Here is a drawing by Al B. Fuct that may be of some use...

Also going to get one of those dual water meters pH/tds that just stays in the rez...

Nice move.. I use and love a hanna Grocheck like this...

Then i'll run a tube down there so that i can add nutrients as needed. (The rez will be under the house... so i don't want to have to actually go down there except to clean it out between crops.)

I suppose it would be nice to have some way to check the level...

A calibrated stick works well in underground fuel tanks... crude.. but it works...

Also looking at inline UV pumps... for keeping the water clean. My biggest concern right now is keeping bugs and mold and algae and crap out of the rez while its under the house.

Do you have the res yet?

I would most deff vote for one big one...

But you could use pumps to keep the solution circulating between tanks to have the same effect...

Bigger volumes of solution are more stable in pH, PPM, temperature...

I could easily get away with 30 gal for my 3x3 tray... but I do 70 gal...for that reason and the fact that I do not have to top off... the plants could dring 2x as fast and all I do is check ph and PPM...

I'm either going to throw a pond liner in a 300 gal. feed tank that i have... or daisy chain (3) 100 gal. smaller tanks together at their bases with compression fittings... either way, i need to find some way to cover the tanks.
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I'd love to see pics of your options if you have them...

but as I said.. my vote goes for as big a res as possible without getting too costly on the nutes...

 

[erkelsgoo420]

Lookin siiiiccckkk. Need more bud porn

 

[raiderman]

mines a hanna also.worth every cent.always make sure you keep the probe in calibration solution always wen not in use , will start giving yu all kinds freaky readings.,happy 4th..pullin out the bigass smoker and 1 pound ribeyees each, marinaded baby backs , brauts , case of heineken , my classic rok station hangin out by the pool.l'll get some poon tang come by,lol,o shit am i not supposed to say that,lol later.R.

 

[GypsyBush]

mines a hanna also.worth every cent.always make sure you keep the probe in calibration solution always wen not in use , will start giving yu all kinds freaky readings.

Really?

I'm not saying you didn't have a problem...

It's just that I've never had an issue...

I bought mine in August... and I have kept it my in my res..24/7... pH 5.8 PPM 1400.. everyday...

I calibrate it once a month and it's hardly ever more than 0.1 off on the pH and within 23~30 on the PPM...

FDD keeps his in his pure RO water top off tank... he told be salt build up ruined his last probe...

But like I said.. mine's been in the res constantly and it has not been a problem...

 

[raiderman]

Really?

I'm not saying you didn't have a problem...

It's just that I've never had an issue...

I bought mine in August... and I have kept it my in my res..24/7... pH 5.8 PPM 1400.. everyday...

I calibrate it once a month and it's hardly ever more than 0.1 off on the pH and within 23~30 on the PPM...

FDD keeps his in his pure RO water top off tank... he told be salt build up ruined his last probe...

But like I said.. mine's been in the res constantly and it has not been a problem...

actually i was referring to not letting it dry out wen removed.calibration fluid is filled in the cap then stored according to the upkeep.that is if you ever jus happen to leave it out,but yurs is a constant emerse.mine is jus a small one..but my grows are small only 54 plants .i only have to water once a week,then thats it.prune and trim.but ive been doin the same type grow since 2001, with minor adjustments to perfection if at all possible,like i said i try to keep it simple,,hava great 4th .Raider.

 

[GypsyBush]

Right on Bro!!!

I had misunderstood you...

You are absolutely right..

Dry probes are usually probes that need replacing...

Sorry about the confusion...

 

[DaGambler]

...happy 4th..pullin out the bigass smoker and 1 pound ribeyees each, marinaded baby backs , brauts , case of heineken , my classic rok station hangin out by the pool.l'll get some poon tang come by,lol,o shit am i not supposed to say that,lol later.R.

Sounds like the Master Plan, man. A little Heine never hurt anyone

(EDIT: and it sounds better than my plan; trying to stay cool indoors while eating junk food and drinking diet mt. dew.)

thanks for the previous diagram Gypsy... i like this other one that you posted up as well. All thanks to the Internet Gods... or i'd be back in the Stone Age.
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